Who's more representative of St. Catharines residents?

There are four candidates running for City Council in St. George's ward.

Three men and one woman.

Three with grown or no children and one with young children.

Three are living pretty financially comfortable lives (self-employed and doing well, employed by the provincial government, and retired early and living off investments) and one understands the financial challenges of most of our residents because she lives them.

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Put aside the fact that I'm the only woman. Put aside the fact that I am under 35 (just barely). Put aside my family status. Put all of that aside and one fact still remains. I more readily understand the financial challenges of most of the city's residents, because I experience them as well.

When my property taxes go up, I notice. I notice because it affects the rest of our budget and we have to make adjustments. Do they?

We need councillors at the table who understand that there are thousands of residents who notice when property taxes go up; who recognizes that the decisions made at the Council table are paid for by all of us; who will push for more creative solutions for investing in projects than using taxpayers' money.